A2B-online Container starts new short sea service from Botlek to Teesport (UK)

Short sea operator acquired an additional container vessel to operate three departures a week from the Broekman Distriport terminal Botlek to PD Ports in Teesport

‘A fantastic add on to our Moerdijk services” says Gerard de Groot managing director of A2B-online. “We are always looking for new opportunities whereby  the requirement of our customers and the hinterland connections play a vital role. Both items do apply creating this new short sea service’.

‘The Broekman Distriport terminal is located in the middle of a chemical cluster of companies in the Botlek and as a tri-modal, multipurpose terminal it is ideally suited to cater to the increased demand of multimodality’, according to Rik Pek, Managing Director of Broekman Terminals. ‘Connections with various European destinations such as Norway, Spain and Poland, the availability of a RoRo ramp, quick access to the A15 highways and trains arriving from Italy and Germany make it a strategic hub between deep- and short sea’, he continues, ‘Of course we are very excited about this development and we are very are much looking forward to the cooperation with A2B-online’.

Frans Calje, CEO of PD Ports explains: ‘it shows the recognition of what we have developed in Teesport recently. Our port is well located in the North and the intermodal connections do apply here as well with links to  Scotland and the East coast as well that we are currently working upon. The cooperation with A2B-online with their short sea services from Moerdijk is very good and has grown ever since. We are confident that this will be a success as well’ he finishes.  

‘The service will be operated with the MS ‘A2B Ambition’, a Sietas 151 type of vessel of 501 TEU that we acquired. At present she is still in the Med but we expect here to arrive early May in the Botlek to start operations’ says Michael van Keulen, Operations Director of A2B-online.

‘What I like is that management of A2B-online is always trying to add value to their customers’ says Kees Vierhouten owner of the Vierhouten Group to which A2B-online nowadays for 100% belongs to. ‘With this new service we do not only generate savings for the customers but it reduces 30 million on-kilometres per year that today is done by road. That is what I mean with being progressive and having ambition!’